Minneapolis – Shanghai

A major build-up for its US hub at Minneapolis-St Paul (MSP) is under way from Delta Air Lines with plans to connect it with China for the first time with a proposed route to Shanghai operated with its new Airbus A350-900.

The carrier has applied to the US and Chinese governments for approval for the route, which it hopes to launch in 2020. It would be the first non-stop flight between the two points and marks Delta’s continued expansion across the Pacific.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said: “In addition to our passengers from the Twin Cities, the new route will benefit travellers across the US with more competition and options for service to Shanghai thanks to our connecting hub at MSP."

The announcement follows recently-announced new Delta service from Minneapolis-Saint Paul to Seoul-Incheon, which begins on 1 April, and complements existing Asia non-stop Delta service to Tokyo-Haneda International Airport from MSP.

In its proposal to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), Delta outlines its ability to offer passengers access to more than 70 destinations in China beyond Shanghai in cooperation with partners China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines.

In addition, it says, customers from China would be able to connect to more than 100 US destinations through a single connection at the MSP hub.

www.delta.com

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